Cover or closure means for liftable and lowerable immersion baths



July 29, 1941. A. BOECLER EI'AL COVER 0R CLOSURE MEANS FOR LIFTABLE AND LOWERABLE IMMERSION BATHS Filed July 9, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l J lly 29, 1941. BQECLER ETAL 2,251,107

COVER OR CLOSURE MEANS FOR LIFI'ABLE AND LOWERABLE IMMERSION BATHS Filed July 9, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 location of the bath. I I ment of the lifting device is-about to terminate A i ,dlsadvantage m the known anange' the same lever system causes the cover portions W hes m the fact that n for the Y n to be'applied tightly to the" now stationary bath.

mg movement of the cover Whlch may @1151 f The invention is illustrated by way of example one or of two parts, the bath requires to be lifted in the accompanying drawings in which a considerable distance that is to a large Fig. l is a section through the chamber adapted tory, and a gastight closure of the bath or its bath which may give rise to defects in the arcover does not call for any appreciable amount III-Operation e ba s i t oduced into a of space above it, Owing t t fact t t t no chamber having heat-insulated walls 10, ill. To two parts of the cover are moved apart laterthe right and the left of this chamber there are ally the extent of movement of the immersion rotatablyflmountedvab a low point Shafts bath, and consequently the height of the imon which are rigidly mounted rocking levers mersionapparatus, can be reduced to aminimum, I2, '12. These. rocking levers extend over the Patented July 29, 1941 2,251,107

onirsso (STATES PATENT ome COVER 0R CLOSURE MEANS FOR LIFTABLE AND LOWER'ABLE IMMER'SIQN BATHS Albert .Eoeclcr,.:Bcr1in, and Kurtifiratring; Dahlem, Berlin, Germany, .assignora-by mesne assignments, to Ncocell Products Corporation, a I corporation of Delaware Application July 9, 1938,'Scrial No. 218,324

' 6' Claims. (01. 18-24) This invention relates to covers or closure the two parts of the cover, which can be furnished means for liftable and lowerable immersion with suitably fitting faces, are made to bear tanks, vessels or baths and is of great utility tightly one e against the other :and against the for producing articlesfrom dissolved plastic subwall of the bath or the walloi the'chamber :constances by immersion. It has forits object to imtaining it. The lifting means for theI-bath, for prove generally on closure means of this kind example a hydraulic plunger which ina'ccordso as to permit of compact construction of the ance with the invention is required to perform immersion pp r d o o in efiective s only a comparatively small lifting movement, is me of t e immersion b o e p m n caused to engage during its initial movement in which the bath is normally situated, with a prior t th t l l t of t lbath with a v w to p v n e ap n rocking lever system, which during this short It has already been proposed to furnish the movement, 1. e.', prior to the-lifting of the bath, Immersion bath, whlch'may'be moved into and 'causes the two-part cover to be opened, whilst out of the apparatus, with a folding or hinged upon the subsequent lowering'oi thebath'lafter cover wh1ch, when the bath is hfted, 1s opened 5 the immersion whenmhe ba hasagain e by suitable stops provided at the point Of 110131112111 deposited in t it position] n t m space must be provided between the bath and to receive .theimmersion bath, showingra the {mould to be i s P i .draulic'plunger rnechanismengaging witharockmersion lapparatus is governed in its size by this mg lever system for actuation of positively fact alone and on this account the immersion a w guided two-partcover. intrins c?int nds iiiintftiifi 2 a pp immersion apparatus broken away-at the bottom 3 figgf g g g aggg a: to Show the position of the bath when it is about situated, consists in the fact that the cover enfgg wlth the two-part cover Opened gages only loosely with the associated closure Y means-so that its closing movement is not a posib I 1 i E t g fiz m tive one, but takes place only as a result of the y mains of as on 9 S ap 0 run weight of the cover. In consequence the closing 5 on s are 'dlsposed: im s i of these loosely moved covers is very unsatisfacthrough the appalatus'and which W I can be moved through a suitable opening 1nto andout of the apparatus. Between the rails 5 is a hydraulic plunger 1, which in the retracted position in Fig. 1 enables the bath to be 'moved into the apparatus'without obstruction, but in the position shown inFig. 2, namelythe position preparatory to the actual lifting of the bath, bearsagainst the bottom of the latter. The for the immersion bath or its compartment in 45 Plunger 7 moves in-the 3 6 011 guide 2- positive fashion t i t opening as Well the plunger I there are provided'two angle plates in the closing, and making the cover of two parts, 3, 8, which engage by means of Studs 111 a which are moved apart laterally, so that this rocking level ys e associated compartment cannot be obtained. On lack of a proper closure of the cover a skin is formed on the dissolved plastic substance in the ticles produced upon the subsequent immersion.

According to the invention, the drawbacks rereferred to are overcome by guiding the cover whilst in consequence of the positive guiding wall of the chamber l0 and are respectively pivoted at I4 to the two halves I3 of the twopart cover for the bath.

At their opposite ends, i. e., at their contacting edges, the two halves I3 of the two-part cover are suspended by means of lugs I5, I5 and studs I6, IS in a slideway II. This slideway may consist of a member having a U-shaped section in which the studs I6 are guided on either side.

In a preferred embodiment there are provided two rocking levers I2 on each of the shafts II, one at the front and the other at the rear of the apparatus, in order to preclude any tilting tendency on the part of the two halves of the cover either during their movement or upon the closing action. Similarly, to ensure proper guiding, slideways II with the cooperating studs can be provided in the plane in front of the bath and behind it.

On the rotary shafts II there are also rigidly mounted bifurcated rocking levers I8, the tines or branches of which are of unequal length. These levers I8 are engaged during a certain phase of the operation by the studs 9, attached as above stated to the plunger I. Thus each lever I2, its shaft II and bifurcated lever I8, forms a unitary rigid rocker arm, which may, if desired, be a single casting or forging.

To permit of a tight fitting of the two halves of the cover I3 along their contacting edges the latter are preferably furnished with rubber gaskets or the like I9. A similar gasket 20 is also provided along the upper edge of the bath I with a view to precluding all possibility of evaporation in the closed position of the cover. These gaskets become noticeably deformed when the two halves of the cover are pressed tightly together and onto the bath.

When the vessel I has been introduced into the apparatus and stands (Fig. 1) in position to be raised by the lifting plunger I the studs 9, are in engagement with the bifurcated ends of the levers I8 and hold the latter in the horizontal position. In this manner, assisted by the weight of the plunger I in rigid connection with the studs 9, the two halves of the cover I3 are pressed tightly together along their inner edges I9 by way of the rocking levers I2, and since the latter have already passed their highest points with relation to the pivot shafts I I the cover is pressed firmly on to the bath.

Upon the commencement of the lifting movement out of the position in Fig. 1 through the position shown in Fig, 2 up to the point of immersion of the moulds (not shown) the studs 9, since they are connected to the plunger I, are also lifted. During the initial movement out of the position in Fig. 1 into that in Fig. 2, i. e., up to the point when the plunger 1 reaches the floor of the bath I, the studs 9 are in engagement with the shorter branches of the bifurcated ends of the levers I8 and cause the latter to be rocked. This rocking movement is communicated to the shafts II, on which the levers I 8 are rigidly mounted, and through them in turn to the levers I2 mounted on either side of the bath I, causing the levers I2 to be moved outwards. As a result of this movement the two halves of the cover I3 are slightly lifted at the points where they are pivoted to the levers I2,

and are moved apart laterally. The studs I6 move along the slideway I'I, thus guiding the inner edges of the cover halves I3 in slightly lifted position above the edge of the bath. At the moment when, as shown in Fig, 2, the plunger 1 reaches the floor of the bath I the stubs 9 are in position to disengage from the short branches of the levers I8, and the rocking movement ceases. The two halves of the cover I3 remain in the position shown in Fig. 2 until, following completion of the immersion process, the bath I is again lowered by the plunger 1. At the moment when the rolls 4 on the vessel I are deposited on the rails 5 the studs 9 move into engagement with the long branches of the bifurcated ends of the levers I8, and as the plunger I continues to move downwards and away from the bottom of the bath, the levers I2 are rocked inwards and the studs I6 move along the slideway I! and the cover I3 is moved positively into the closed position. In the extreme position of the plunger I the weight of the latter causes the cover portions to be pressed firmly together and against the edge of the bath.

The closure of the bath I by the cover gaskets 2?] is normally substantially perfect. However, as insurance against possible leaks around the edges of the bath we have provided an additional seal between the walls II] of the immersion chamber and the outer edges of the covers. Referring to Fig. 1, 2| are rubber strips attached to the sides III of the chamber near the top and extending somewhat thereabove. 22 are extensions from the covers I3 which, when the covers are closed, engage with the rubber gaskets 2|, bending them over into the positions shown, and thus forming an air-tight seal between the immersion chamber and the remainder of the apparatus. The members 22 may conveniently be formed of sheet metal, for example spring steel, bent into the form shown in Fig. 1. They are attached to the outward ends of the covers I3 in any convenient manner.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus for the production of articles of plastic composition by immersion of molds in a bath, the combination which comprises a vcrtically movable tank, a tightly fitting cover for said tank, a substantially horizontal guideway for said cover, a rocker arm pivotally attached to said cover, disposed to withdraw said cover laterally along said guideway when rocked, and arranged to be actuated by engagement of a member therewith, and means for lifting said tank vertically, said means being provided with a member disposed to engage and actuate said rocker arm.

2. In apparatus for the production of articles of plastic composition by immersion of molds in a bath, the combination which comprises a supporting frame a vertically movable tank, means for lifting and lowering said tank, a two-part cover adapted to fit the top of said tank, a lever system cooperatively associated with each side of said tank, each of said lever systems comprising an angle member pivotally mounted at its angle on said frame and having a longer arm pivoted at its end to the outer end of one part of said cover and a bifurcated shorter arm, a guideway adjacent to said cover, means on the outer end of said one part of said cover engaging said guideway to guide said cover in a prescribed laterally directed path, a stud on said lifting and lowering means adapted to engage the bifurcation of said shorter arm to rock said lever about said support and laterally remove said part of said cover upon the initial upward movement of said lifting and lowering means, to be disengaged from said bifurcation during the remainder of said upward movement and the initial downward movement, and to reengage said bifurcation during the final downward movement of said lifting and lowering means, to move the two parts of said cover laterally together and onto the top of said tank.

3. In apparatus for the production of articles of plastic composition by immersion of molds in a bath, the combination which comprises a vertically movable tank, a massive member arranged to be movable upward and downward for lifting and lowering said tank, cover means for said tank, elastic gaskets on each part of said cover at points of contact with the other part of said cover and at points of contact with said tank, and rocker arms arranged to be actuated by movement of said massive member for laterally removing said cover upon initial upward movement of said massive member and for replacing said cover and pressing said cover tightly into position upon final downward movement of said massive member.

4. In apparatus for the production of articles of plastic composition by immersion of molds in a bath, the combination which comprises a vertically movable tank, means for lifting said tank, a tightly fitting cover for said tank, guiding means constraining motions of said cover substantially to the horizontal, a rocker-arm pivotally attached to said cover and arranged to withdraw said cover Within the constraints of said guiding means when rocked, said rocker-arm having a portion disposed in the path of travel of said tanklifting means and engageable by said tank-lifting means throughout the initial stage of travel of said tank-lifting means, whereby movement of said tank-lifting means produces at first lateral withdrawal of said covers and then vertical movement of said tank.

5. In apparatus for the production of articles of plastic composition by immersion of molds in a bath, the combination which comprises a supporting frame, a tank, a laterally removable cover for said tank, a massive member arranged to be movable upward and downward within said frame for lifting and lowering said tank, a rocker-arm pivotally attached to said frame and to said cover and having a portion lying in the path of travel of said massive lifting member and arranged to be actuated thereby, said rocker-arm being disposed to support at least a part of the weight of said tank-lifting member when the latter is in its lowermost position and to translate said weight into a force tightly closing said cover.

6. In apparatus for the production of articles of plastic composition by immersion of molds in a bath, the combination which comprises a supporting frame, a tank, vertically movable means for lifting and lowering said tank within said frame, a cover for said tank provided with elastic gaskets at-points of contact between said cover and said tank, a lever system cooperatively associated with said tank, said lever system comprising an angle member pivotally mounted at its angle on said frame and having one arm pivotally attached to said cover and another arm ALBERT BOECLER. KURT BRATRING. 

